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Topic: aic7xxx hd install problem

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wingnut

Group: Members
Posts: 2
Joined: April 2005

Posted: April 23 2005,17:47

I just finished doing a SDL install from a zip drive on an old system that has an aic7xxx_old scsi adapter. My problem now is that SDL doesn't find the scsi device after booting to the hd.

Please, I need some help in loading the module so that I can boot from my hd. I will be booting from my zip drive, modprobe aic7xxx_old to gain access to my HD partions. I have already completed the install to the HD.

Thanks for helping another noob! Really looking forward to P@#$ing on M$. Converted 3 pcs to linux and trying to finish my last old box to function as an mp3 streamer for the yard!

cbagger01

Group: Members
Posts: 4264
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: April 23 2005,18:42

You need to create a custom boot floppy because aic7xxx_old driver is not compiled directly into the kernel and instead is available by a module.

First, create a standard boot floppy.

Then boot into DSL using livecd or livezip and copy over the minirt24.gz file to your /home directory

Then gunzip the mini root image:

gunzip minirt24.gz

Then make a new mounpoint

mkdir /home/dsl/image

Then mount the miniroot file:

sudo mount -o loop -t ext2 minirt24 image

Then goto main menu and start emelfm as super user

Go to /lib/modules/2.4.26/kernel/drivers/scsi/ in one pane
Go to /home/dsl/image/modules/scsi/ in the other pane

Copy aic7xxx_old.o over to the 2nd window pane.

Close down emelfm

Unmount the loopback image file:

sudo umount /home/dsl/image

Zip up the new image file:

gzip -9 minirt24

Copy the new minirt24.gz file back to your boot floppy, overwriting the original file.

If there is not enough room on your floppy disk, you will need to shrink the file by repeating these steps and delete some unneeded driver modules that already exist in the /home/dsl/image/modules/scsi directory.

This should get the new filesize small enough to fit on the original floppy disk.

Finally, boot from this new floppy disk.

It should work fine for a poormans or frugal hard drive install.

You may need to mess with the init script to chroot over to a new root directory if you want this to work with a full hard drive install.

Finally, if you are adventurous, you could recompile the kernel and add in direct support for this driver and then boot directly into your hard drive install.

Good Luck.

wingnut

Group: Members
Posts: 2
Joined: April 2005

Posted: April 24 2005,15:59

OK, Followed the procedure outlined and the new minirt24.gz copied to the floppy, but the floppy would no longer boot. I am going to try again...then I'll keep reading and try a kernel build.

I am a little confused though, so maybe you could clarify. I booted to a floppy, ran live from a zip dive. From there I did a hard drive install which completed successfully. My ultimate goal is to get the hard drive running wether I need to boot from a floppy first or not, but ultimately I would prefer the hard drive.
Thanks

cbagger01

Group: Members
Posts: 4264
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: April 24 2005,19:42

The modified boot floppy should load the correct SCSI driver and allow your init scripts to continue booting with files that are stored on the hard drive.

Unfortunately, the boot floppy (original or modified) is intended to boot up either the DSL livecd, or the poorman's HD install or even the frugal HD install.

It is not designed to boot up a full hard drive installed system.

It is technically possible to get it to switch over to a full hard drive setup during the bootup process, but it would require modifying the init script and experimenting. The goal is to first load the SCSI driver and then mount your hard drive partition and then chroot over to your hard drive partition and continue with the init process.

If your SCSI controller BIOS supports disk access commands, it is also possible to install a bootloader on the hard drive and use the bootloader (like lilo or grub) to read the kernel (linux24) and miniroot (minirt24.gz) directly from somewhere on the hard drive.

But you first need to either tweak the init scripts inside the miniroot like I mentioned above.

Once you can get it to boot into a hd install from a floppy (and assuming that your SCSI BIOS works) moving it over to a hard drive bootloader is relatively easy to do.

Or you can recompile the kernel and include built-in support for your SCSI driver.

My personal preference would be to get the modified boot floppy to work and then do a poormans or frugal install on the hard drive and then try to get a bootloader up and running.

I would skip a full HD install because it would not be worth the additional effort to get it up and running.

Now if someone else here were to provide a straightforward way of doing it, that would be a different story.

FYI, if the modified boot floppy won't work, you can always save:

aic7xxx_old.o

to a second floppy disk and then use a normal boot floppy for the first disk.

Boot with:

expert

and insert the second disk (modules) when prompted and follow instructions.

Good Luck.

wingnut
Unregistered

Posted: April 29 2005,15:53

OK, good progress, I have modified the minirt24.gz file and can now boot the floppy and run from the cdrom using the aic7xxx.o module. I did a hd install and loaded lilo but can not boot to the hd. The system will still not boot using the floppy and specifying " dsl hdboot=sda1" (not correct verbage) but sda1 is where dsl is installed. I've also download the grub.dsl but can't seem to get it to install to the mbr. Any suggestions?

5 replies since April 23 2005,17:47

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